This article in The Economist connects regulation with (the opportunity) to discriminate in hiring and compensation through the reduction in competition that inevitably attends regulation even where reduction of competition is not the hidden purpose of the regulation.
The academic study (linked to from the article) referred to in the article sounds conclusive to me as these things go, but I am predisposed to accept its findings in any case, partly because what I observe accords with them. The comments to the article (except for mine) seem to come from people who are opposed to both discrimination and to deregulation.
Good luck to them! As the article points out, we in America have got a lot more regulation coming our way. Ironically from a president who is a member of a historically discriminated-against group.